Device for removably connecting an element to a wall



May 29, 1956 K. KOCH 2,747,904

DEVICE FOR REMOVABLY CONNECTING AN ELEMENT To A WALL Filed NOV. 14, 1951 KM Koolv BY IN V EN TOR.

DEVICE FOR REMOVABLY CONNECTING AN ELENIENT TO A WALL Karl Koch, Frankfurt am Main, Germany Application November 14, 1951, Serial No. 256,260 Claims priority, application Germany November 24, 1950 4 Claims. (Cl. 287-23) The present invention relates to a device for removably connecting an element to a wall, and more particularly to a device for detachably securing an eye or a hook for the insertion of a rope to the Wall of a building.

It is the object of the present invention to provide such a device which can be easily attached to, and removed from the wall of a building.

It is another object of the present invention to provide detachable supporting members which can be repeatedly used.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide interchangeable chambers as detachable supporting i embers.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide detachable supporting members which offer great resistance against loads applied thereto, while requiring little space when piled on top of each other for storage.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide supporting members which may be inexpensively manufactured of sheet metal and covered with a protective coating.

With these objects in view, the invention mainly consists of an elongated hollow member having a peripheral wall whose inner surface includes two pairs of opposite inner surface portions, one of the two pairs of inner surface portions being spaced a short distance from each other, and the other of the two pairs of inner surface portions being spaced a greater distance from each other, said inner surface portions defining a substantially prismatically formed interior ending at one end of the hollow member in a substantially rectangular opening, one surface portion of the pair of inner surface portions being spaced a shorter distance formed with a pressed projection located spaced from either end of the hollow member, and projecting into the interior for a distance slightly less than half the distance between the pair of inner surface portions spaced at short distance, the hollow member being adapted to be embedded in the wall with the one open end flush with the wall surface, and having a closed hook-shaped other end adapted to engage the wall, a pair of elongated fiat support members located in the interior of the hollow member adjacent each other, each of the supporting members having a mounting portion having an oblong cross-section being of a thickness of substantially half the distance between the pair of inner surface portions spaced a short distance, and being substantially of the same height as the distance between the pair of inner surface portions of the hollow member spaced a greater distance, the mounting portion of at least one .supporting member being formed with a hole transversely extending therethrough and engaging therewith the projection, and the. mounting portion of the other of the supporting member holding the mounting portion of the onesupporting member in a position engaging the projection, each of the supporting members having a supporting portion projecting out ofthe interior of the hell w member and being formed tates Patent with a hole, the holes in the supporting portions of the supporting members being aligned for attaching of an element.

Detachable attachment means are known in which one supporting member engages a hollow member anchored in the wall of the building and is held in place by a locking member. These devices, however, are not suitable for the use for scaifolding, since they are not capable of supporting heavy loads. Another disadvantage of this type of device is that the supporting member has a shape diflerent-from the locking member which makes manufacturing and storage more expensive and also renders mounting difiicult. Furthermore, according to the known devices of that type the load is only supported by the supporting member.

The device according to the present invention overcomes these disadvantages. Two identical and interchangeable supporting members are provided, one of which engages a projection in the interior of a hollow member embedded in the Wall, while the other holds and locks the first supporting member in place. The holes in the outer supporting portions of the supporting members are aligned and permit insertion of a rope through both members. By this rope, which may be used for the erection of scaffolding on a building, the locking member is kept in place and cannot slide out of the hollow member.

The hollow member which is embedded in the wall of a building is preferably anchored in the wall by a hook shaped projection. According to another embodiment of the present invention, two opposite wall portions of the hollow member are provided with aligned openings through which a transversely extending anchoring member may be inserted.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional view of a preferred embodiment of'the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of. the embodiment on line A-B of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view on line C-D in Fig. 2; and

Fig; 4 is a schematic elevational view of a cover for the embodiment shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawing, the hollow member 2 is embedded in a wall 1, and may be connected thereto by cement. The hollow member is provided at one end with a hook-shaped projecting portion 3 for anchoring the hollow member in the wall. The peripheralwall of the hollow member'deiines a substantially prismatic interior 5, and one wall portion of the hollow member is formed with a projection 4 projecting into the interior -5 of the hollow member 2.

Into the hollow member 2 two are inserted which are provided at their projecting supporting end portions-with aligned eyes 8 and 12 for insertion of a rope or a similar scaifolding element.

One ofthe two supportingmembers 6 engages the projection 4 by means of a hole 7 provided therein and is thereby secured against longitudinal movement in the hollow member. The other supporting member 10 is provided with a hole 11 which does not engage the projection. The identical shape of the two supporting members, however, permits interchanging thereof and uniformity of manufacture.

The extremityof projection 4 is spaced from the opsupporting members posite inner wall surface portion of hollow member by a distance slightly greater than the thickness of member and does not project out of the opening 7 in the mounting portion of the supporting member 6. This makes it possible to slidingly insert and remove the other supporting member 10.

The hollow member 2 may be closed when not in use by the closure member shown in Figure 4, which includes two resilient members and 16, constituting the leg portions of a U-shaped leaf spring whose yoke portion is secured to the flat thin cover plate 13. The resilient leaf springs 15 and 16 are inserted into the hollow member and keep the closure member in place by frictionally and resiliently engaging opposite inner faces of the inner surface of the hollow member. The cover plate is arranged in such manner as to be flush with the surface of. the wall in order to be only little noticeable and not to. cause soiling of the outer wall surface under the action of rain water.

The device is operated in the following manner:

After removal of the closure member, one supporting member is inserted into the hollow member along the inner surface wall portion opposite to the projection 4. When hole 7 is aligned with the projection 4, the supporting member 6 is moved into engagement with the projection. Thereupon the second supporting member is slidingly inserted into the hollow member between the first supporting member 6 and the opposite wall portion of the hollow member until holes 8 and 12 are aligned.

The supporting member 6 is now supported against pulling forces by the projection and offers the tensile strength of the cross section 9 as resistance against the applied load.

Extensive tests have proven that a cross section of substantially A3 to /8 of an inch ensures a safety factor of thirty with respect to the usually applied load.

The rope inserted through the holes 8 and 12 in the supporting member keeps the supporting member 10 in place so that the supporting member 6 is locked in its position engaging the projection 4 by means of the hole 7. In order to detach the supporting member, the rope is removed, the supporting member 10, which is only loosely mounted in the hollow member 2, is pulled out, the engaging supporting member 6 is transversely moved into the space formerly occupied by the locking supporting member 10, and then pulled out of the hollow memher, which may be closed by the closure 13.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of devices for removably connecting an element to a wall differing from the types described above. 1,

While I have illustrated and described the invention as embodied in a device for removably connecting an element to a wall comprising a pair of identical flat supporting members, I do not intend to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of my invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of my invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device for removably connecting an element to a wall, said device comprising in combination, an elongated hollow member fixedly mounted in said wall and having at least one .open end located adjacentto the outer wall surface, said hollow member having a projection located at an intermediate inner surface portion thereof and projecting transversely into the interior thereof, said projection having an extremity spaced from the inner surface portion of said hollow member located opposite said extremity; a pair of identical elongated support members each having a pair of openings extending transversely therethrough and respectively located adjacent the outer and inner ends thereof, each of said support members being of a thickness slightly less than the distance from said extremity of said projection to said opposite inner surface portion of said hollow member, one of said support members being located in said hollow member and having said opening adjacent the inner end thereof located about said projection so as to be secured against longitudinal movement, and the other of said support members being located adjacent to said one support member in said hollow member so as to maintain said one support member in engagement with said projection, and the openings at the outer end portions of said support members being coaxially aligned with respect to each other.

2. A device for removably connecting an element to a wall, said device comprising in combination, an elongated flat hollow member fixedly mounted in said wall and having an interior of substantially rectangular narrow cross section ending in a substantially rectangular, opening located adjacent to the outer wall surface, said hollow member having a projection at an intermediate inner surface portion thereof projecting transversely into the interior thereof, said projection having an extremity spaced from the opposite inner surface portion of said hollow member located opposite said extremity; a pair of identical flat elongated support members each having a pair of openings extending transversely therethrougli and respectively located adjacent the outer and inner ends thereof, each of said flat support members having a rectangular cross section and the same width as said rectangular cross section of said interior of said hollow member, and a thickness slightly less than the distance from said extremity of said projection to said opposite inner surface portion of said hollow member, one of said support members being located in said hollow member and having said opening adjacent to the inner end thereof located about said projection and engaging the same so as to be secured against longitudinal movement, and the other of said support members being located adjacent to said one support member in said hollow member so as to maintain said one support member in engagement wi h said projection but adapted to be slidingly moved out of said open end of said hollow member so as to permit disengagement of said one support member from said projection.

3. A device for detachably connecting supporting elements to a wall, comprising, in combination, an elongated hollow member fixedly mounted in said wall and having an open end located adjacent the outer surface of the wall, said hollow member being formed with a transverse projection in the interior thereof, the interior of said hollow member having a substantially rectangular cross section; and a pair of elongated support mem bers having mounting end portions located in the interior of said hollow member, said mounting end portions having identical rectangular cross sections of substantially the same height and substantially half the width of said rectangular cross section of the interior of said hollow member so as to slidingly fit into the same, the mounting end portion of at least one of said support members being formed for engaging said projection so as to secure said one support member against longitudinal movement out of said hollow member, the mounting end portion of the other support member maintaining said one support member in engagement with said projection, both support members projecting out of said hollow member, and said one support member being transverse- 1y movable into a position releasing said projection so as to be longitudinally slidable out of said hollow member when the mounting end portion of the other support member is pulled out of said hollow member.

4. A device for detachably connecting supporting elements to a wall, comprising, in combination, an elongated hollow member fixedly mounted in said wall and having an open end located adjacent the outer surface of the wall, said hollow member being formed with a transverse projection in the interior thereof, the interior of said hollow member having a substantially rectangular cross section; and a pair of identical elongated support members having mounting end portions located in the interior of said hollow member and supporting end portions projecting out of said hollow member, said supporting end portions being formed with aligned openings adapted to receive a transversely extending element for preventing relative longitudinal movement of said support members, said mounting end portions having identical rectangular cross sections of substantially the same height and substantially half the width of said rectangular cross section of the interior of said hollow memher so as to slidingly fit into the same, the mounting end portions of said support members being formed with openings, the openings in the mounting portion of one of said support members engaging said projection so as to secure said one support member against longitudinal movement out of said hollow member, the mounting end portion of the other support member maintaining said one support member in engagement with said projection, said one support member being transversely movable into a position releasing said projection so as to be longitudinally slidable out of said hollow member when the mounting end portion of the other support member is pulled out of said hollow member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Lee Mar. 13, 1906 McDonald Aug. 14, 1917 McGregor May 22, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Switzerland Feb. 1, 1913 

